End Game
by RenMan77
Summary: When she has hurt the one she loves, when she has been mistreated, when she has been ignored, when she seems to have no one else to turn to, what are Sachiko's options? Does she fight, give in, or...what?
1. Chapter 1 - Prologue

**A/N:** Hello again all! How are all my favorite story groupies? ^_^

Sorry for the LONG (four months!) delay in getting this out. This story has been a hard one to write so far, as it touches on a subject that I have had some personal experiences with. I had started writing it back in February and put it on the back burner to finish **Confrontation**. Then in June of this year, **Slayer0109** wrote a similar story that reminded me that I needed to finish this. So, **Slayer0109** , this story is (kinda-sorta-not really) all your fault! ^_~

As always, I do not own nor am I associated with Maria-sama Ga Miteru. All such honors belong to Oyuki Konno, Shueisha, Yamayurikai, and Nozomi Entertainment. Only the story concept presented below is mine.

And now...

 **"End Game"**

 ** Prologue**

It was raining. The dark gray skies were punctuated by occasional booms of thunder. It reflected her inner turmoil and mood perfectly.

Colorless and neither light nor dark. Noise, chaos, and distractions all around her in every direction. There was no clear way out of her current circumstances. Only the ground she currently held was known, much too well known for her liking. It was ground she was desperately trying to get away from. But every time she was close to breaking free, _they_ brought her back to reality. Her father and grandfather insisted that tradition be upheld. That _she_ must honor _their_ agreement. An agreement made without her consent before she was even a year of age. The Ogasawara's and the Kashiwagi's never ending quest for lineage, prestige, influence, and power had been passed down to become _her_ legacy to fulfill. She was to be married to _their_ choice, produce _their_ child and begin a whole new generation of family for _their_ draconian ideals to be passed on and miserably adhered to, all in the name of respect and nobility.

It was a thinly veiled excuse to cover up the greed that it really was.

And it disgusted her to no end...

Only one person could help her out of this maddening stupidity her family chose to perpetuate. A lone bright star in the darkness that she was surrounded by. The one thing that made her life bearable and worth fighting for. Her one true love.

But that person wouldn't be coming. No. Not ever again in this life.

Two nights before she had callously pushed that person away from her forever. The heartless manner in which she had been forced to cast away that person had sickened Sachiko to her core. Because her grandfather had been present and listening in, she had been ruthless in her reasons for separating from her love. She had stood in that person's house and said the words that had destroyed the beautiful soul she had worked so very hard to help bring out, all seemingly without remorse. She had worn her mask well. She had displayed no regrets, no emotion, and no conscience about what she had been instructed to do.

And her love had taken all of it. Her lips trembling at the more hurtful words, and stoic for the rest. Her love had stood there and taken it all in. She hadn't even shed a single tear or called Sachiko so much as a bad name. Once she finished, her love had politely thanked her before turning and gracefully walking upstairs without another word or sound. It should have made Sachiko proud.

Instead, it had shattered her heart. More so, because she had seen that it broke _her,_ it had also broken Sachiko...

Another onslaught of tears began to cascade down her face as she continued to stare outside the window. The thought of her love and the pain that she had caused her to suffer allowed her name to almost soundlessly slip past Sachiko's lips between her grieving sobs. Almost.

"Yumi..."

 **-0-0-**

Across town, another set of eyes took in the weather with an ominous foreboding. Her day had started off with her being in a melancholic mood. As the day wore on, it had only gotten worse. The current frustration she felt concerning her petite-soeur's situation wasn't helping to ease the feeling at all. Her eyes squinted as she began speaking to the other occupant of the room.

"I don't like it Sei." She said. "Something is off. She isn't answering her cell phone and the house staff is insisting that she isn't available no matter what time I call. I know something is wrong."

Sei's grey eyes took in her partner's pensive mood and posture as she sat quietly sipping her fifth coffee of the day. "You know she gets like this when she's vexed, love." She replied. "Considering that her father and grandfather are forcing this marriage issue down her throat so far that she's practically choking on it, she has probably gone into her usual hysterics. She's likely to remain that way until she either gets what she wants or figures out how to get around it."

Youko stood silent for several moments before countering with. "I am afraid it is far worse this time Sei. I just have this feeling..." She then lapsed back into silence.

Sei left her friend be for the moment. She knew that there would be no appeasing her until Sachiko called back. Her own immediate concern was for their friend Yumi. Like Sachiko, she had also gone quiet. No telephone calls, no text messages, no e-mails, nothing. It was like she had dropped off the face of the earth. Even Yumi's family was letting their answering machine take all phone calls.

When Sei couldn't take it anymore, she had stopped by the Fukuzawa residence. She had been told by Yumi's mother Miki that she wasn't up to seeing anyone yet. Miki had then thanked her and the rest of the Yamayurikai for their concern for her daughter before abruptly closing the door. The whole visit had left Sei feeling even more concerned.

As she watched her girlfriend's barely controlled annoyance growing, she vowed to give the pair one more day. If nothing changed by tomorrow, then Sei would find a way to force one or both of the Chinensis sisters into contacting them.

 **-** **0-0-**

02-05-2015 22:39 hrs.


	2. Chapter 2 - Darkness Falls

**A/N:** Welcome to the next chapter. Be warned! It's about to get dark. Let the suspense begin! ^_^

I shall start with the usual disclaimers: I own squat in regards to MSGM. This story concept however, is all mine.

Newest story groupies/followers: Welcome and welcome back to the following: **nytestorms, PCrespi, sashikoxshizuma, Coot, FliryVorru, VolpineGrinz, and cassert.** Thank you for your kind reviews and comments. They keep me going! (Well, that and coffee. Lots and lots of coffee...) ^_^

Now to back to our story...

 **End Game**

 **Chapter 2 – Darkness Falls**

Sachiko's misery and sadness had continued to build over the next few days. When she had been forced to break up with Yumi owing to her grandfather's threats, it had pained her greatly to do so. Her pain however, failed to come close to what she perceived Yumi had to be feeling at the moment.

Her grandfather had insisted upon being present when she ended things with Yumi. Because of that, Sachiko was not able to warn her of what was coming or why. As they stood in the Fukuzawa foyer, Sachiko had buried her emotions deep behind the mask she had so carefully created over the years. Remembering every cruel and hateful thing her grandfather had said about her relationship with Yumi, she had parroted it all back to her love seemingly with out remorse. There had been no hesitation as she had blatantly and cruelly lied to Yumi and her mother about her own true feelings. She had told Yumi that she was unworthy of any serious consideration for her affections because she was beneath Sachiko's station in life. Sachiko had even told her that she found Yumi's preference for women in general to be disgusting, of questionable moral value, and an aberration of acceptable behavior. She had compounded on that lie by telling Yumi that their relationship had simply been a temporary distraction for Sachiko's amusement while she waited for her grandfather's official announcement of the betrothal.

Now that it had been made, Yumi's presence was no longer desired and she was expected to gracefully bow and walk away without complaint. Sachiko made it clear, as her grandfather had insisted, that Yumi was never to speak of their prior relationship. Either in public or private, as there would be legal consequences if she did. Yumi was also not to ever contact Sachiko again. Any attempt to violate those rules would mean a disgraceful end to the Fukuzawa family and name in Japan.

The look on Yumi's face at those words had devastated Sachiko.

The coup de grace had come while riding in the car on the return home. Not content to just leave the matter as it was, her grandfather had gushed over the disgraceful manner in which she had treated Yumi. Complimenting her repeatedly on her 'killer instincts' as he had put it. He had then patted her on her knee telling her. "Yes, you really are an Ogasawara after all! If you were a man, you would be a force to be reckoned with as head of the companies." Nodding at her, he had added. "As a woman with that attitude, you will keep an efficiently run house that a man of your husband's position can be proud of. He will be the envy of all Japan!"

Sachiko's vision had tunneled down at this comment. In all her young years, Sachiko had never wanted to end someone's life as desperately as she did at the moment she heard those words. It had taken every bit of willpower on her part to not physically attack the man that called himself her grandfather. She had not reacted to his words. She had maintained her silence. She kept her mask in place the rest of the way home. She even held it in check all the way to her room. Only once she was safely inside behind a closed and locked door did she drop the facade. Only then did she let her anger and hatred of the man spew forth.

She didn't know if anyone heard what happened next, nor did she know if anyone ever even bothered to check on her. She certainly wasn't aware that she had had that kind of wrath inside her. At the time, she hadn't cared. All she knew was that she had to let it out. All of it. Her anger at him, at her father, even at herself for failing to fight for Yumi. Even her rage at the hateful things she had said to Yumi.

When she had finally worked it out of her system and stopped screaming sometime later, the carnage she had inflicted upon every thing inside her room rivaled that of a F5 hurricane. Nothing had escaped her destructive rage. Surveying the damage around her as she sat at the end of her bed, Sachiko smirked at her parents imagined reaction when they next saw her room. 'That will give them something to think about.' she thought grimly.

As she recovered from the exertion, Sachiko began thinking about all the things that were important to her. Certainly, there were memento's, pictures and other things she would like to keep from her relationship with Yumi. However, she knew she couldn't trust her father or grandfather to stay out of her belongings. She needed to get them out of their reach without their knowledge. A plan quickly formed in Sachiko's mind. 'First things first.' She thought. Standing, she walked into her closet and pulled out a white cardboard box from the back. Returning to the room, she had set about collecting the items she wanted.

When morning came, Sachiko had finished packing her "box of important things" as she had come to call it. 'Box would be a misnomer.' she decided, as there were several of them. Now that the business day was beginning, she had a few errands to run before the staff caught on that she was going out. She quickly showered and changed. Heading downstairs with the boxes, she grabbed the car keys from a surprised security officer and disappeared out the door. Less than two minutes later she was driving out the front gate. It was going to be a long day.

 **-** **0-0-**

Sachiko returned late that afternoon from her expedition into town. Setting down the two brown cardboard boxes of things on the bed, she sat for a few minutes collecting herself. While she was exhausted from the additional effort, she had completed the tasks she had set out to accomplish. Now, all she to do was endure a dinner with her father before she could attempt to get some much needed rest. She had decided not to clean up the disaster in her room. From the look of things, the maids had not even attempted to move or clean anything. 'Probably out of fear for their lives.' Sachiko mused. She was sure her father was made aware of it and that the subject would come up during their meal together. Being honest with herself, she knew that she still didn't care what his thoughts on it were. She stood and left her room heading down to dinner.

 **-** **0-0-**

Sachiko walked outside to the veranda and took a large gulp of wine before she flopped down on a chair. The dinner with her father had been grueling. What was supposed to be a simple evening meal had turned into an hour and a half lecture about the duties and responsibilities that she was now expected to religiously adhere to. Another reminder that drove home the fact that her nightmare was only beginning.

[Flashback]

"As a betrothed woman of noble lineage you are expected to behave accordingly." Her father had begun. "From now on missing social gatherings will not be tolerated nor will I accept any excuses for avoiding marriage meetings."

Sachiko looked at her father with disinterest. He was not impressed.

"Furthermore," he added. "the tutoring you escaped from completing during your time at Lillian High School will resume immediately. It isn't acceptable to embarrass your family and future husband because of poor etiquette. Considering your behavior of late, I am sure that you have forgotten some of the finer points of it. You will be setting the example Sachiko, and it is unacceptable to have you observed setting a bad example. Right?"

"Hai." Sachiko responded despondently. "As you wish."

"That's the correct answer." Tooru beamed. "And sit up straight!"

Sachiko snapped to rigid attention in her chair as her father continued. "That's better. Now, about your schooling, any further studies are simply unnecessary and a waste of money. Since Suguru will be handling all future family and business matters on your behalf after you are married, your presence at the stock holder and executive board meetings will no longer be needed. Therefore, the end of the current quarter would mark the end of your education."

"But father..." Sachiko began.

"Be quiet!" He shouted. "The answer is no. You have more important duties to attend to than goofing off with your friends at college. Speaking of which, I want this to be perfectly clear Sa-chan; it is in your best interest to be rid of those useless people from Lillian. You shall join the various womens society groups and attend charitable functions here in the prefecture. They will be your primary focus from now on. As the spouse of the future president of Ogasawara Zaibatsu, it is expected that you will portray the ever diligent and dedicated wife in public for his benefit. You will be expected to make and maintain contact with those people that Suguru deems necessary to expand our family's business and influence. Anything that is not directly connected to that goal is a waste of time and effort. This is your place from now on. Now is the time to be a grown up, the time for being a princess is over. It will not bode well for Suguru-san if your actions reflected badly upon him or bring shame upon our family. Your compliance with this request is not optional. You _will_ be the dutiful and submissive wife a man of his position is expected to have. Am I clear?"

"Hai Ogasawara-sama." Sachiko replied. The venom in her voice obvious as she stared at the table top.

"That attitude will also be a thing of the past Sa-chan." Her father told her. "I mean it. Such petulance is unbecoming of a lady of your age and lineage. Lose it and behave as you should."

They sat in uncomfortable silence for several minutes before her father spoke again.

"Oh. Before I forget, you will be selling your grandmother's house as well. The sooner, the better."

Sachiko snapped her head up briefly. She so furious at the idea that she did not respond to him.

"It has been decided that Suguru will be transferred to Kyoto to head the branch offices there once you have married." Her father continued. "A suitable house has already been purchased there and is being prepared for the two of you."

Sachiko did not respond. 'Suitable?' she thought. 'That just means it will be easier for them to keep control of Suguru-san and I. Probably had camera's and microphones installed everywhere.' Her father's voice had interrupted any further thought on the subject.

"Additionally, this house will also be sold." He said as he looked around. "As I am moving my headquarters to Osaka at father's request. It will be a nice change of pace for all of us I think."

[End of Flashback]

Sachiko couldn't care less about their family home. Aside from Yumi's visits, it held no special memories for her, unlike her grandmother's house. However, her father's message was made very clear. Once she and Suguru-san departed for their honeymoon, there would be no reason for Sachiko to return to Tokyo. Ever.

While the meal wore on, he had made no mention of her room. However, he had questioned her repeatedly about where she had gone that morning and what she had been doing. More than once he had reproached her about having any contact with "That Fukuzawa girl." No doubt, he had had the car's general location at any given time. More than likely, he knew Yumi's location at any given time as well. The worst part was when he had stated that he had men stationed outside Yumi's house to prevent either of them from getting anywhere near each other.

Sitting outside, she reflected upon the events of the last several days. Sachiko had thought that by giving in to her grandfather's demands that Yumi would be safe from further harassment by her family. The conversation with her father at dinner that night had dispelled that notion. Yumi would be hounded by the family's security teams for the rest of her life to prevent any possible contact between them. Sachiko realized that as long as she still loved Yumi, the love of her life would always be in danger from her family. Depressed by the prison that she knew was irrevocably closing in around her, Sachiko sighed in resignation as she slowly reached down to the brown box beside her and picked up the first item she touched.

 **-** **0-0-**

Tooru stood surreptitiously watching his daughter from his study window. He could see Sachiko sitting by the fire pit on the veranda. He surmised that the box setting beside his daughter contained things related to 'that girl'. It was obvious to him that Sachiko was going to burn anything related to her. He gave a smirk in satisfaction. 'This is a good sign.' He thought. 'Sa-chan has finally faced reality and accepted her fate.' His father had been right in telling him that she only needed the proper motivation to face her duty and responsibility to the family. She had to learn that the family's needs were paramount to everything else. Their family had followed these traditions for thousands of years, and they would continue to do so. It was simply the way of things. With that knowledge in her mind, and his continued reinforcement of it; her immoral liaison's with the Fukuzawa girl, not to mention her other troublesome behaviors, would cease and not disgrace his family any further. He would see to that. His honor and his family's integrity would be upheld. Father would be proud of him again.

His father had come to him the week prior. He had decided that it was time for the engaged couple to enter into marriage. It was the last step that would finalize the decades old business merger his father had worked on for so long. He had told Tooru that he was depending on him to make it happen. Failure to do so would be a disgrace to the family. Tooru had accepted the challenge. To preserve family honor it had to move forward, and move forward it would.

Yes, father will finally be proud of him.

Tooru smiled at that thought.

 **-** **0-0-**

The first things to go into the fire were her Lillian year books. They were followed by her journals. Sachiko sat slowly tearing the pages out of each book, dropping them in one by one. She then tossed in their play scripts, her copies of Tsutako-san's photo's, their notes and gifts, almost everything that she had ever received from Yumi. When she had emptied the box, she took out her cell phone. She sent two last text messages before she began deleting her contact lists.

As she thought back on her father's words, Sachiko deleted her voice and e-mails next. She didn't even bother to read or listen to them. None of it really mattered anymore she realized. She was a non-entity as far as he was concerned. She was nothing but a shiny bobble for her family and Suguru to show off in public when needed. Her once bright life and future had been reduced to this: obey, look pretty, breed, raise obedient successful children, stay in the back ground, speak only when spoken to directly and then only say what you are told you can say. This was the 'perfect' life her father and grandfather had envisioned and planned out for her. Sachiko could feel herself slipping away, but there was nothing she could do about it.

Finishing with the phone, she removed the SIM card from the phone and added it to the fire. She turned and tossed her phone into a nearby pond just as it started to ring. The pleasant tune from her and Yumi's favorite song faded abruptly when the phone sank and shorted out. The service provider would automatically send whomever was calling to voice mail, to leave a message that would never be heard.

Reaching up to her neck, she took off the last item and held it out. It was their rosary, one half of a matching pair. She kissed it lovingly before dropping it into the flames. 'There's no need for that now.' She thought as she sat back in depression and watched as everything was consumed. 'It's all gone now. No proof of anything. Our friendship never existed. Our relationship never existed. Almost like we didn't even know each other.' She thought miserably. 'Only the Lillian and Yamayurikai records are left to prove otherwise.' No doubt her family would find a way to even make those records 'accidentally' disappear if they ever came to light, she mused.

As she sat drinking the glass of wine, her sixth of the night, her only comforting thought was the knowledge that there was now nothing left that her father could use against those she loved.

 **-** **0-0-**

Grunting in satisfaction as he watched her toss in the last item, Tooru thought. 'Now that THAT distraction has ended, it's time to bring Suguru-san back in line as well.' He turned towards his desk. Tomorrow morning he would set up a meeting with his nephew. Suguru-san would be given the same message as Sa-chan. His own disgraceful liasons would cease as his immediate compliance to his family obligations was expected. There will be no other choice.

As Tooru walked away from the window, he pondered a recent discussion that he had overheard between Suguru and Sachiko. 'They can alter the agreement? Or simply ignore it if no one asks? They should be able to decide their own futures? All at the expense of disrespecting their elders, throwing away family honor, and ignoring established tradition? What nonsense were the schools teaching these days?' He shook his head in disbelief as he sat down at his desk.

 **-** **0-0-**

Early the next afternoon, Sachiko sat writing at her desk, she had been there most of the previous night and morning. Despite her exhaustion, she had not slept at all as the realization of the future that she was now confined to overwhelmed her emotions.

She had finished writing the last of three letters. Placing them all into a single envelope, she addressed it. Standing, she walked over to her piano, placing the envelope on top. Looking at a photo frame sitting on top, she gave a small smile. It held the last remaining picture of her and Yumi together. Taken in profile, it showed the two of them kissing. A single tear streamed down her face as she gazed longingly at it.

Turning, she walked over to her dresser. Opening a drawer, she picked up the item she had taken from her father's study earlier in the week. Returning to the piano, she sat down as she flipped a lever before pushing it into her chest. Looking at the photo one last time, she kissed the fingers of her free hand before touching them to the picture as she quietly said. "Goodbye love." Taking a deep breath, she quickly squeezed her index finger. She felt the intense pain in her torso briefly before slumping to the floor as darkness blissfully enveloped her.

Yumi's face in the photo was the last thing she saw.

 **-** **0-0-**

Downstairs, a tired Sayako Ogasawara was returning from a several day visit with relatives. She had entered her home and placed her hand bag in her study. She came back into the hallway in time to hear a loud bang coming from her daughter's room. Concerned about what it could have been, she began calling Sachiko's name as she went upstairs to see what it was.

 **-** **0-0-**

Touko Matsudaira had also arrived at the Ogasawara estate a couple of minutes behind Sayako. Annoyed after having spent several hours that morning with a largely lethargic and depressed Yumi, Touko stomped into the residence. She had expected better from her great-grand-soeur and cousin. Part of her consternation was whether she should even be mad at Sachiko in the first place.

'It's not her fault, she is a product of her environment. Her family has pushed her into this. Right?' She asked herself. 'No.' she thought after a moments reflection. 'I should be pissed off at Sachiko. It was her decision to make and she ran away from it. After all they have been through together, she dumps Yumi the second her grandfather disapproves and acts like she has no choice in the matter. Baka. The Ice Princess is going to get a taste of the Matsudaira anger when I find her.'

Standing in the foyer, she started to yell for her cousin, but her call was cut off midway by a horrific scream coming from upstairs. Startled, Touko ran towards the sound. As she topped the stairs, she found her aunt on the hall floor outside Sachiko's room. Weeping inconsolably, she kept saying "No, no, no." repeatedly, as she stared into Sachiko's room. Concerned, Touko turned to look inside. Her eyes popped open in shock as the room yielded a horrible sight that would haunt her dreams for the rest of her life.

 **-** **0-0-**

 **A/N:** No throwing things at the writer! T_T Anyone who reads my stories knows I abhor sad endings, so relax! Get comfortable because this one will be a long one. Until next time!

End Chapter 2 – Darkness Falls (Posted 10/18/2015 )


	3. Chapter 3 - Into the Storm

**A/N:** Hello story groupies! I apologize for the long delay in updating this story. Life in general has it's little ups, downs, and surprises. Mine is no exception. So, this intro will be a little short. I will welcome all my newest members in the next chapter. Until then, enjoy my offering below. Gokigenyo!

Back to our story...

 **End Game**

 **Chapter 3 – Into the Storm**

Across town, Yumi heaved a sigh as she watched some ducks paddle lazily by on the pond before her. Pleasant as the scene was, it wasn't enough to distract her from the emotions she was currently feeling. The better times and memories she had shared with Sachiko seemed to be everywhere.

Sitting on a table near the water's edge, she kept re-running the memory of that day over and over. Her internal conflict over the break-up with Sachiko had left her feeling drained of energy. Mentally, physically and emotionally she was exhausted. She had spent a majority of the last four days either crying hysterically or screaming in anger. Her room looked like it had been through an earthquake as a result. Yuuki had finally had enough of her destructive reign of terror and had called for reinforcements. Together, he and Touko had spent several hours talking to her. She had finally given in and they had managed to get her to shower, eat some food, dress and leave the house for a while.

She had insisted that only Touko be allowed to visit with her. If only to quiet the repeated calls from the rest of her friends on the Yamayurikai. Of them all, Sei Sato had been the most insistent to talk to her. While grateful for her friends concern, Yumi just wasn't up to the task of dealing with Sei's exuberance yet.

Yumi had known that this outcome was likely to happen and would come at some point. However, the actual event had taxed her mental state and well being far more than she had anticipated.

Yuuki had tagged along with her after finally getting her to agree to a walk in the park near their home. Ostensibly, the outing was to get her mind off her break up with Sachiko. While the fresh air and quiet atmosphere had a calming effect, Yumi couldn't shake the ominous feeling that something besides their forced separation wasn't right.

When they had set out for the park, Yumi had intentionally left her phone in her room. No doubt by now it was filled with many messages of hope and condolences from her friends concerning the end of her relationship with Sachiko. She was still reeling with shock from the sudden and senseless end to their relationship. Even if she couldn't stop thinking about it, Yumi didn't feel up to talking with anyone about it just yet, not even Yuuki.

Yuuki, for his part, was consoling his sister as best as he could. He was annoyed with Sachiko even though he understood the position she was in. After all, his sempai from Hanadera, Kashiwagi-san, was the other half of that arrangement. Yuuki had spent months listening to him angrily complain about the unfairness of it. Despite their best efforts, neither of them had been able to get out of the overbearing obligation that had been placed upon them. Yuuki wondered, as he watched his sister, that even though Sachiko never once mentioned her forced marriage arrangement when she had turned Yumi away, if she understood that it alone was the real reason behind their break-up, and not all the horrid things Sachiko had said to her. Having become accustomed to Sachiko's mannerism's during their soeur-ship, what he had witnessed that day was the mask she had worn to hide her true feelings. No doubt Sachiko had died a little bit inside that day as well. Yuuki doubted that his sister had noticed during the confrontation inside their house. Someday, he would have to tell her what he saw.

As they continued to sit in silence, Yumi suddenly sat up straight and sucked in her breath like she had been doused in ice water.

"What is wrong?" Yuuki asked with concern.

Yumi told him. "I-I don't know. It feels like something suddenly is not there that should be. I'm not sure what." Yumi shook her head to clear it before she went back to watching the water and the wildlife upon it. Another half hour passed slowly as Yumi sat watching the lake between miserably pondering their break up, the manner in which Sachiko had done it and trying to figure out the unusual sensation she was feeling.

While he waited for his sister, Yuuki began getting calls on his cell phone from Touko. He really wanted to talk to his girlfriend, but he felt his sister needed him more. Instead of answering, he chose to silence the phone and let Touko go to voice mail. Several more minutes passed before he received a single text. Checking to make sure Yumi wasn't looking, he opened his phone and read the message: [I need you Yuuki love, please call me now! Something terrible has happened.]

The message sounded desperate. Yuuki quietly walked a short distance away until he was sure he was out of Yumi's hearing before calling Touko. "Hai love?" He said quietly into the phone before listening to Touko for several seconds. His face paled at her words. He abruptly turned and looked back to Yumi.

At that same instant, Yumi had suddenly sat straight up again as she realized what the ominous feeling was. "Sachiko!" She shouted. "She's not there Yuuki!" In a panic, she turned to face her brother. "I can't feel her anymore Yuuki. She's gone!" The distress in his sister's voice obvious.

 **-0-0-**

Across the room, Touko hung up her cell phone with a barely contained sob. Yumi was finally on her way. As she sat on a bench, she pressed her phone between her hands and leaned her head against them as if in prayer. 'Now,' She thought. 'If only Youko were here.' As if in answer, she suddenly heard her great-grand-souer's voice.

"Touko?"

Touko looked up and saw Mizouno Youko and Sato Sei standing over her. Without a word, she quickly jumped up and hugged Youko tightly as she began to sob.

Youko returned her younger sister's hug for a few moments before asking her. "What happened?"

Touko gave her a final squeeze before moving out of Youko's embrace. "She... She..." Closing her eyes briefly, Touko took a deep breath to steady herself and let it out before finishing. "She shot herself."

"What?!" Sei and Youko both exclaimed in disbelief.

"I arrived just after it happened." Touko told the pair. "Aunt Sayako found Sachiko in her room. I called emergency services and moved Aunt Sayako back downstairs. It...it was horrible." Her voice shaky at the memory of what she saw in Sachiko's room.

Youko looked at Sei briefly as if to say 'I told you!' as Touko reached into her coat.

"She left this." She told the pair as she held out an envelope with Yumi's name on it. "I found it on her piano next to her and Yumi's picture."

Touko handed Youko the letter as Sei commented. "Three guesses as to what it says..." Sei missed the sharp look Youko gave her as she stared hard in Tooru's direction.

"Now is not the time Sei." Youko told her friend quietly. She thanked Touko before she moved away. In the process, she intercepted Sayako who had been approaching the trio.

 **-0-0-**

As her friend was talking to Sayako, Sei moved out into the hallway. The emotions running rampant in the waiting area were stifling her. While she was annoyed with Sachiko's father and grandfather, she was equally irritated with Suguru. His inability to 'man-up' and handle the situation had allowed it to escalate to it's present state. As the other half of this farce, she believed that he should have been more forceful in his support of Sachiko.

Looking down to the end of the hall, Sei spotted the source of her irritation standing by a window staring out. His back to her as Sei walked towards him. She was intent on giving him a good throttling for his lack of foresight. Upon reaching him, Sei grabbed his shoulder and spun him around. Brining up her right hand to slap him, Suguru interrupted her action before she could complete the arc.

Upon seeing that it was Sei behind him, Suguru had moved in closer to her and pulled Sei into a hug. Sei had a brief moment to see that there were tear stains on his face. Sei was shocked as he put his head down on her shoulder and began to quietly sob into it. Caught off guard by his reaction, and not knowing how else to respond, Sei simply stood holding him quietly for several minutes as Suguru released his pent up emotions.

As he began to recover, Sei pulled back to arm's length to look at him. She recognized the open raw pain visible in his eyes. It occurred to Sei that the possibility his cousin's demise was imminent was hitting him hard. 'The Ginkgo Prince has a heart? Who knew?' The realization that Suguru was far more emotionally connected to his cousin than he let on left Sei with an oddly pleasant feeling. She spontaneously returned his hug with one of her own.

They spent several moments clinging to each other as Sei's eyes also began to mist up at the possibility of losing her friend. Not that she and Sachiko had ever been particularly close. Maria-sama knew that Sachiko had enough reason to dislike her for all the teasing Sei had given her over Yumi and their glacially budding relationship. She herself had never gone out of her way to improve her relationship with Sachiko. Still, Sachiko had been one of them, a Rose, one of the elite students at Lillian. As much as Sei would like to deny it, there was a thin red string connecting all the Yamayurikai. The thought that one of them would be gone so soon, and by her own hand, threaten to overwhelm the emotions of the normally indifferent blonde.

Not one of their friends or family noticed their impromptu commiseration.

After Suguru recovered his composure, he pulled away from Sei and looked her in the eyes for the first time. He began to speak. "Yumi." He said. His voice cracked and he swallowed hard before trying again. "Yumi-chan, we must protect Yumi-chan."

Sei looked at him hard for several seconds. "What are your intentions Kashiwagi-san?"

He gave a brief chuff at her question. Sei never could resist verbally sparring with him. "If Sa-chan survives, to keep her and Yumi-chan together." He said seriously. "They truly belong to each other. They always have."

"And if she doesn't?" She asked him.

"Then we need to get Yumi-chan away from here quickly." He responded. "I don't know how Uncle Tooru's father will respond if he blames any of this on Yumi-chan."

He continued to stare at Sei as he waited for her response. As he watched, he saw Sei's trademark smirk begin to slowly cross her face. Turning, she took him by the arm and began walking down the passageway back towards the waiting area. "Tomorrow, Mon-frere," She said to him. "We shall lunch together, as we have much plotting and conspiracy afoot before us..."

 **-** **0-0-**

Yumi entered the hospital ER with her brother and parents forty-five minutes later. She saw that Tooru, Sayako, Suguru, Touko, Sei and Youko were already there. She hesitated for a moment to calm her nerves before she approached the waiting group.

Unknown to her, and at Touko's suggestion, Yuuki had only told Yumi that there had been an accident involving Sachiko and that Touko was personally requesting her presence. As they had prepared to leave the house, he had told his parents the real reason behind Sachiko's hospitalization while Yumi had been changing in her room. They had agreed to keep it to themselves during the ride to the hospital. However, it had been more than obvious to Yuuki that not only were his parents deeply troubled by the incident, they were very angry with the senior Ogasawara males.

As her parents moved towards the Ogasawara's, Youko approached Yumi and hugged her tightly. Yumi returned the hug for several moments before asking her what had happened. Youko got a sad look in her eyes as she said, "I believe the explanation is in here Yumi." before hesitantly handing her an envelope that bore her name on it.

Yumi gave Youko a curious look as a feeling of dread overcame her. Opening the envelope, inside she found three letters. Seeing her name on a red ribbon around the first one, she pulled it out and began to read it.

-  
Yumi Love,

Sadly, by the time you read this, I will no longer be walking among the living.

Let me start by first saying that I am sorry...  
...for lying to you.  
...for pushing you away.  
...for not being strong enough.  
...for not fighting harder for us.  
...for breaking my promise to you.  
...for not being there for you.  
...for hurting you once again.

Perhaps you will find some small comfort in knowing that after this, I will be unable to ever hurt you again.

I have failed you in the worst possible way. By destroying the very things I cherished most above everything else in this world; your trust and your love.

When I pushed you away that day...that wasn't me. I believe that you already know that. If you don't, well, trust that every word of what I said to you then was a lie.

The truth is; my father is forcing the marriage to Suguru-san upon me at grandfather's demand. He and grandfather threatened to come after you. To hurt you, your family, and our friends in the Yamayurikai in any manner they could if I did not comply immediately. Knowing grandfather as I do, I knew the threats were not idle ones.

To keep them away from you, I told you all those terrible untrue things in front of him. To keep you from trying to reconcile with me, I hurt you in an unkind way. I had to act contrary to my true feelings for you. I know that I should have waited and talked with you about it. I took this upon myself and made a decision without you because I truly felt it to be in your best interest.

That was selfish, I know.

Please forgive me love, for those transgressions, for what I said, and for the manner in which they were said.

However, as I thought further on the matter, I came to realize that complying with father's demands would be an impossible quest. For I simply cannot do what he asks of me. I cannot betray you in that way. I cannot give myself to Suguru-san with a clear conscience.

It's not that I hate Suguru-san. You know that because of his family, he is stuck in this disagreeable arrangement as much as I am. However, the thought of being intimate with him, or any one else for that matter, is something that sickens me. I cannot do it. I have chosen the one that I love. I _will not_ give myself to anyone else.

Be it my duty or not, I refuse to comply with grandfather's archaic demand that I whore out my womb simply because he says that it is an obligation I am expected to perform; 'For the sake of family honor.'

What utter nonsense. I am a human being, not a monkey trained solely for his entertainment.

However, as much as I hate to admit it, the reality is that I can neither protect you nor any of our friends. Simply running away would not suffice. I had to remove any influence that they could ever have to interfere in your lives. To that end, I had to remove the one common denominator: me.

I know that you will view what I have done as very selfish, irresponsible, stupid, morally repulsive and likely a cowardly act. One that you will be unlikely to ever forgive me for. However, as I have already broken your heart and irreparably damaged your beautiful soul, that kind of forgiveness may already be a thing of the distant past.

I understand that and I accept full responsibility. For everything.

I am praying that Maria-sama and the Kami-sama will see past my misdeeds and into my heart. To see what it is that I am desperately hoping to protect. Maybe in exchange for my sacrifice, they will grace you with the strength, comfort, and assistance that you will need in my absence.

Please, please don't you dare try to follow my example. All that I have sacrificed will have been for nothing if you do not live on. Should you ever have need of me, look to your memories. I will always be there.

There are several things that I am going to ask of you now. All of them will be very hard...

Please, do not attend my funeral. Do not visit my grave site. Do not even acknowledge our relationship in any form. Do nothing that will draw attention to yourself. Only by remaining out of the public spotlight can you or our friends hope for any safety from my family's retribution.

In the unlikely event that I should survive, they will never leave me alone again. Please stay away from me. I beg of you to implore our friends in the Yamayurikai to do the same. Stay away from the Ogasawara family as much as you can. I recommend getting out of Japan altogether. The lone exception to this request is my mother. Only she can be trusted. If you ever need anything, please do not hesitate to contact her.

I also ask that you to please forget the girlfriend I was to you. You should not weep for her, nor should you grieve for her. She deserves not your tears, your sympathy, your memories, or your love. She failed to be the person you needed her to be. She lied to you, she hurt you and she sacrificed your love. Because of her cowardice, she left you alone.

I do want you to remember your onee-sama, your mentor, your friend, and your confidante. The one who became your sister, who protected you, guided you, taught you to dance, helped you to realize your own potential, and loved you with all her heart. Remember that woman. She deserves your tears and fond memories.

I ask you to please remember this one thing above all else Yumi; I love you and you alone. There is no one else in my heart. You are my entire world, and the only thing I truly ever needed, wanted, or held as my own. My only regret is that I took so long to tell you how I really felt. Thank you for being the best part of my life.

Whatever happens and wherever you go from here, know that Maria-sama and I will always be watching over you.

Do try to find love and happiness again. It is my last wish for you.

I love you,  
-Your Sachiko.

Yumi finished the letter and read it a second time. Her already overloaded emotions had just been pushed beyond her capacity to deal with them. Looking up, she noticed that everyone was looking to her in expectation.

Youko finally spoke up, asking her, "Well, what did she say Yumi?"

Yumi tried to respond several times but her voice wouldn't work. As she tried again, her view suddenly tilted and everything faded out as the floor rushed up to meet her face. She faintly heard Touko yell her name.

 **-** **0-0-**

Several minutes later, Yumi came to. She was laying on a couch with her head in Touko's lap. Her face was numb from the ice bag that covered the spot on where her face had hit the floor. She could hear her parents voices quietly arguing with Tooru. Yumi distinctly heard her father call Tooru an idiot. She almost giggled at that before she remembered where they are and why they are there. As tears threatened to fall again a small whimper escaped her.

Touko looked down at Yumi. "Are you okay onee-sama?" she asked. Yumi shrugged but said nothing as she carefully sat up. She looked around at the others. She saw her parents and Youko with Tooru standing some distance down the hall from where she sat, still in a heated discussion. Sayako was sitting nearby in tears, one of the other letters in her hand. She was leaning against Kashiwagi-san who was doing his best to console her. Sei was off to one side taking in the scene. Taking the ice bag from Touko, she continued to sit in silence. Her emotions as numb as her face where the ice bag covered it. Her mind was still trying to resolve Sachiko's words. She understood what Sachiko was trying to do. She just couldn't get past Sachiko's self-sacrifice by suicide.

Suicide.

Yumi was caught between two very strong emotions at that thought. On one hand, she was feeling very humbled that Sachiko's last act was trying to protect her, but on the other hand she was feeling pure revulsion at the senseless stupidity and biblical implications of her girlfriends act.

'Did Sachiko not realize all the damage she would be causing by her actions? Even though our relationship is a technical violation of God's word, was not the act of attempting to end a life not a bigger sin? Never mind actually succeeding at it? Was she clueless to the devastation her loss would cause upon me, Sayako, Touko and our friends?'

At those thoughts, Yumi turned to look at Touko. Her imouto was putting on a brave face, but Yumi could see the tears threatening to well up in Touko's eyes. The strain of controlling it was taking a toll on her friend and sister and Yumi could see it. Setting her own feelings aside for the time being, she put her arm around Touko and pulled her in for a hug. She then whispered into her ear, "Let it out Touko. It's okay, I have you."

Touko tried to protest, but Yumi placed a finger over her lips. Saying firmly. "For once, just do as your onee-sama says." Touko stared at her for a second before relenting with a nod. She turned her head into Yumi's shoulder. Wrapping her arms around Yumi, she started shaking. Yumi felt satisfaction at Touko's sobs. 'At least she won't keep her feelings bottled up inside her this time.' She thought. She resumed watching the adults having their almost noiseless argument as Touko continued to weep.

Several minutes later, Touko had calmed down again. She pulled away, quietly telling Yumi. "Bathroom." before standing and moving off. As Touko went to clean herself up, Youko came over to Yumi.

"How are you holding up?" She asked.

Yumi shrugged as she said,"I'm not sure yet. I'm still trying to sort it out in my head."

"That's to be expected." Youko replied. "I think we're all still in shock." She looked at the floor as she paused for a moment. "Yumi, please forgive me for this. While you were passed out, I read her letter to you. I never would have thought that Sachiko would do something like this..."

Yumi pursed her lips together as she nodded her acceptance of Youko's apology.

Youko asked her. "You saw that there were two other letter's in there?" Seeing Yumi nod her head in the affirmative, she went on. "Good. They were addressed to her mother and father, so I took the liberty of giving them their letters. I also made a copies for the police and a few extras just in case. I hope you don't mind. You will of course get your original one back." Turning to look at Sachiko's parents. "I don't know what they will do with theirs…"

Yumi then spoke, telling Youko. "It's okay. About the copies I mean. The police would have asked for them eventually anyway. It will probably also be easier just to show them to our friends rather than to try and answer all the questions they will have about it. Especially with what few answers there are..."

Any further discussion was interrupted by the sound of the doors to the trauma unit popping open…

 **-** **0-0-**


	4. Chapter 4 - Dissention

**A/N:** Another long overdue update posted. I really have no excuse. Laziness attacked me half-heartedly over the holidays and I capitulated immediately. T_T

As always, I will begin with welcoming all the new story groupies to my humble corner of FanFiction: **Sopheap, Krugerfan18, Aldmagali, Yumi974, etoile, Aikimio, dinnca, Chill19, and Lunier.**

Special notes to the following:

 **Sashikoxshizuma** = I love you too! Keep your reviews coming.

 **Nytestorms** = Here's another dose of angst for ya!

 **xLaShay=** I hope I am waking you up again. Do not ignore the phone! The phone knows all! LoL.

I wish to give a special shout out to my technical advisors for this chapter **Paula** and **Deanne.** You two rock! Your support and input is greatly appreciated. ::Raises coffee cup in honor.:: ^_^

Again; I own nothing except the story concept. Oyuki Konno-sensei really should do a fourth season. (HINT!)

And now, back to our story...

 **End Game**

 **Chapter 4 - Dissension**

Sayako sat numbly in the Trauma Surgery waiting room. She was being comforted by her nephew Suguru as she and Tooru were living out every parent's worst nightmare. They had reached the hospital an hour before. Presently, Sachiko was in the surgery suite surrounded by a team of doctors, all frantically working to save the young maiden's life. All they could do now was wait to see if they still had a daughter to take home in the future.

'How?' she wondered. 'How had it come to this?' She had only been gone a few days. As the very picture of a confident and successful modern lady, Sachiko had been so happy and glowing she had left. To have her do this...horrible thing to herself just days later as Sayako returned home didn't make sense. 'What had gone so wrong?' she pondered.

She thought of, and quickly dismissed Yumi as being the source. There was simply no way Yumi would willingly cause her daughter distress unless she was forced to do so. Even then, she would likely fight it before becoming part of such a transgression. Sayako's thoughts then turned to her nephew Suguru. She knew that Suguru also would not hurt his cousin under any circumstances. Knowing Sachiko's distrust of men in general, especially those she was related too, it was likely that he had no answers either. Sayako then looked to Touko, even if her niece knew why Sachiko had done this act, she wasn't saying anything to her or anyone else. Watching her, Sayako concluded the she was waiting apprehensively for someone to arrive. No doubt that person was likely to be either Yumi or Youko-chan.

With no other possibilities coming to mind, her thoughts turned to her husband. 'Yes.' her intuition told her. 'He had to have done something to push our daughter to this point.' Whatever it was, it had sent Sachiko into such a desperate state that she did the unthinkable.

Now, if she only knew what it was...

'The marriage. That has to be it.' She decided. The thought made her blood boil. 'He had to have said or done something that caused Sa-chan to panic.' Sayako knew that she would have no solid answers to her questions until either Youko or Yumi arrived. Under the circumstances however, she was in no mood to wait. So she had to confront the only suspect at hand.

Turning her head to look at her husband, she eyed him suspiciously for several minutes. When he became aware of her stare, he started avoiding looking at her directly.

"What did you do?" she asked him.

Suguru, hearing his aunt's question, wisely chose that moment to stand up and go for a walk down an adjacent hallway. Well away from the fight he was sure was about to begin.

"Huh, what dear?" Tooru replied, hoping to stall the questions he suspected were coming.

Sayako turned herself sideways and looked him directly in the eyes. Raising her voice, she asked him again louder. "What. Did. You. Do?"

"Where is that coming from?" He answered her. "Why are you asking me that? I...I didn't do anything. So...I...I don't know...what...you mean." He finished with a fearful stutter.

"DON'T TEST ME TOORU!" Sayako yelled at him angrily. Her outburst catching the attention of everyone in the waiting area. "Answer the question!"

Tooru nervously looked away from her at her words. There was no avoiding it, she would not relent until she had the answer and Tooru knew it. He sighed heavily before telling her. "I told Sa-chan the time had come to marry Suguru. Without delay."

Her eyes lost all emotion as she hissed. "What else?"

Still facing away from her, he said. "I also told her she had to break it off with Yumi-chan. Permanently. That...that she had to completely end all contact with her and their friends."

A loud pop was heard as Sayako's left hand exploded from her lap and smacked the back of her husband's head, almost knocking him out of his seat. In an angry voice she asked him, "Are you an imbecile? You know what Yumi-chan means to her!" As Tooru sat back up and began smoothing his hair back down, she finished with. "Only you would be so dense or insensitive enough to request such a thing. Baka!"

Feeling the need to defend his actions, Tooru fired back, "Father insisted! He said it was time for Sa-chan to live up to her obligations and responsibilities. The agreement must be upheld. It is time for her to fulfill her duty to the family..."

"Oh!" Sayako interrupted. "So, this is your idiot father's idea, is it? And just where is the great one? No. Please let me guess. Likely the same place he always is when he 'demands' that something be done. Well away from the scene of the crime with some flimsy excuse. Leaving you or one of his other spineless sycophants to do the dirty work of cleaning up the mess he created. Not to mention shouldering the consequences in his place!" Sayako shook her head in disgust. "Why Tooru? Why do you continue to kowtow to that deplorable, self-centered, power-obsessed and despicable ass? It is beyond me."

Neither of them spoke for several minutes.

"Tooru." Sayako finally said. "His insistence on following trough with this stupid marriage agreement. Just to seal what is a questionable business deal at best... We may very well lose Sa-chan." Turning to look at him again, he met her gaze as he stared into her almost dead eyes. "Tell me, my husband, was it worth the price? Was the profit the two of you gained from it worth the cost of our daughter's life?"

Tooru opened his mouth to speak, but Sayako cut him off. Holding up her hand edge-on and pointing it at him, she hissed. "Shut it!" She then stood up and walked away from him. Tooru looked after his wife for a moment before hanging his head in resignation. He didn't know what he could say or do at the moment to help ease his wife's current state of mind.

 **-0-0-**

Upon arriving at the trauma center, Yuuichiro and Miki Fukuzawa had split off from Yumi and headed for the Ogasawara couple. Yuuki had elected to greet his sempai Suguru after giving Touko a much needed hug.

The Fukuzawa's greeted Sachiko's parents after Sayako had reluctantly returned to her husband's side. Even though they were aware of the events that had transpired before their arrival, they politely inquired what had happened to Sachiko. The pair expressed their dismay when Sayako explained what had occurred. For the moment, Sayako had not elaborated on the reason. The Fukuzawa's declined to press for an explanation out of courtesy. When Sayako pointed out that Yumi seemed to be reading a letter from Sachiko, both couples turned and waited for Yumi to finish.

Miki had started to go to her daughter's side when Yumi fainted, but Sayako stopped her and indicated that she should let Touko and Youko handle it. "I'll explain later." She told Miki. They watched as the girls moved Yumi to a nearby couch and a nurse brought an ice pack for them to use. While this was occurring, Sayako pulled Miki a short distance away from the men.

"Miki," Sayako told her. "I would like to discuss the situation between Yumi and Sachiko further with you. I believe you may have insight on what occurred in my absence. That information may be directly related to Sa-chan's actions today. However, now is not a good time for either of us. Could I call on you later?"

Miki was surprised by Sayako's sudden request but readily agreed. "Hai." she replied. "You have my cell phone number. Call me anytime Sayako-sama."

Sayako smiled at her as she told her. "Thank you." She told her. Then added. "Oh, and Miki?" she asked. "We have known each other such a long time. _My fairy_ does not need to use honorifics when talking with me, at any time."

Miki blushed as she caught Sayako staring deep into her eyes. "As you wish...Sayako." Miki was caught off guard. She had no idea that Sayako remembered who she was. Their brief meeting in the greenhouse during their high school days at Lillian were so long ago. Sayako had never brought up the subject to her before.

Still smiling, Sayako then squeezed her arm gently as they returned to where them men were talking.

 **-0-0-**

Yuuichiro and Tooru had watched the remaining Rose sisters as they attended to Yumi. Yuuichiro had caught the secretive glance from his wife as she returned. It confirmed what they already suspected about the situation. Sayako had not been the source of the disparity. Nodding to his wife discretely, he turned to Tooru.

"Tooru-sama," he said. "I do not mean to be disrespectful. However, could you enlighten us as to why Sachiko-san would suddenly do such a thing to herself?" He then waited tensely. It was not his place as the 'junior' parent to inquire of such things from a senior of the Ogasawara's stature. However, since it affected Yumi and her future, and his family indirectly, he had decided to risk it.

Tooru, after having watched Yumi's reaction, was feeling ever more guilty about his decision to push Sachiko into the marriage as his father had asked. What had started as a nagging doubt with Sayako's argument was now growing into full-blown regret at not talking with his wife about it first.

He was irritated that Yumi's father would dare ask such a thing, however as he quickly re-thought the question, he understood the reason Yuuichiro had done so. He would have done the same if the situation were reversed. He answered the question truthfully. "I simply informed Sachiko that it was time to marry Suguru-san as had been agreed upon. As such, she had to end her relationship with Yumi and prepare to become the dutiful wife of an executive of the Ogasawara companies. She knew this day was coming."

"That isn't all you told her." Sayako interjected.

Tooru sighed heavily as he added. "She was also told that she was not to have any further contact with Yumi-chan. Ever."

Silence reigned for several moments as Yuuichiro struggled to contain his emotions and think clearly. Because of Miki, he had been made aware of the confrontation that had occurred within his home. Hearing and seeing his daughter's distraught cries that the incident had brought into his home afterward had angered him to no end. He knew that that chaos had been brought on by Tooru's father, and not the man in front of him. Despite his best efforts, Yuuichiro could not help but respond with the first thought that came to mind.

"Tooru-sama, are you an idiot?"

Tooru's face turned three shades of red as Sayako found that she had to bite back a sudden urge to snicker at her husband's reaction. She fought to refocus on the Fukuzawa's as Yuuichiro continued talking. "I realize, sir, that you are busy, not only the head of your household, but the Ogasawara conglomerate as well. However, even you could not have missed the depth of devotion that our daughter's share for each other. How could you be so thoughtless? Why would you do such a thing to them?" He admonished his senior. "Even if we agreed with you, which I can assure you we do not, why would you have taken this decision upon yourself without consulting us first? Some form of warning would have been courteous. What if it had been our Yumi in that room now? Did you not consider what effect your actions would have on anyone else? Especially our daughters?"

Truthfully, Tooru noted to himself, he had not thought of the consequences outside that of the company, his father's wishes and the agreement. However, his pride was not going to let him admit this to Yuuichiro. So he elected to remain silent.

Getting no response from Tooru, Yuuichiro added. "One would expect one of your stature and education to be among the first to realize that such arranged marriages are not only a subtle form of slavery, but an oblique form of prostitution as well. Tell me sempai, is this how you see your daughter? What of your wife? I truly hope that you do not believe that. The custom is an outdated, stupid and offensive concept." Looking to his superior in exasperation, he finished with. "We expected better of you Ogasawara-sama. We are both disappointed." He shook his head and then turned around and walked a few meters away from the couple. His wife Miki following behind.

Tooru did not respond to Yuuichiro. Simply because he knew the man was right. He had tried to follow in the way of his father without realizing that his father's ways were from another very different time. A time that no longer existed.

Sayako looked on at her husband. She knew that he probably need some reassurances after Yuuichiro-san's admonishment. However, she was not in the mood. After learning of his interference, she was still too angry with him and his father.

At that moment, her thoughts were interrupted by the appearance of Youko. "Pardon the intrusion." She said as she held out two letters towards the couple. "These are addressed to the both of you. They're from Sa-chan." She told them.

The couple then split up, each choosing to read their letter in solitude.

 **-0-0-**

Once across the room, Tooru took another deep breath. He really didn't want to know the contents of the letter. In all likely-hood it was Sachiko's condemnation of him and his father. Knowing that he could not stall reading it forever, Tooru opened his own letter and began to read its contents with a sinking feeling.

 _Ogasawara Tooru,_

 _No._

 _No. I will not marry Suguru._  
 _No. I will not accede to your demands._  
 _No. I will not give myself to anyone other than the one I love._  
 _No. I will not allow myself to be taken by another as a duty to our family._

 _I asked you to respect my wishes._  
 _I begged you to reconsider your decisions._  
 _I warned you there would be repercussions for your irresponsible and thoughtless actions._

 _You ignored me._

 _Instead, you treated me as property._  
 _Because of my gender, you allowed me no respect._  
 _To gain my cooperation, you threatened my friends and their reputations._  
 _When that failed, you vowed to harm the one I love._

 _All of it done purely in the expectation of immediate obeisance and compliance. I was treated in such a callous and detached manner, that one would question whether I was truly your daughter or merely an unwanted deficit balance in an accounting ledger._

 _Because of your actions, someone precious was taken away from me. Now, my actions have taken someone precious away from you._

 _You and grandfather are solely accountable for this. Your unabashed greed for the almighty Yen, blind adherence to tradition and your misguided concept of honor have brought you to this point. The responsibility for the treachery you condoned and participated in are shared by you both._

 _May God forgive you Ogasawara._

 _Because I will not._

 _Yukiko Sachiko_

Tooru read the letter again. He then quietly folded it and placed inside his jacket pocket. He sat in silent contemplation for several minutes. What he had read disturbed him even more that the argument with his wife or the outburst from Yumi's father had. 'So this is to be all my fault? The downfall of the Ogasawara family is on my head. No allowance for doing what I thought was best for her future? No leniency for following tradition? I did as my father asked. As all good children should. I made no secret of my desires that she also follow that tradition. I knew she would be upset. Angry even. But to take it to the extent that she would do this 'thing' to avoid having to follow that tradition. Why? And her signature, would that she rather use her mother's maiden name and kill herself than live using mine? Have I treated her so horribly? Have I become that bad of a person?' he pondered. The more Tooru thought about Sachiko's letter, the more depressed he became at the truthfulness of her words.

 **-0-0-**

Sayako sat on a couch away from the others. In her hand was the letter written by Sachiko. She hesitated to read it. It was likely the last thing her daughter touched before she made the attempt on her own life. Taking a deep breath, she opened it and began to read...

–-

 _Dearest Mother,_

 _I cannot begin to apologize enough for the pain you are suffering at this moment because of me._

 _Please forgive me._

 _It is not possible for me to adequately explain all the reasons for my selfish act. Suffice it to say that father and grandfather interfered where they had no right to do so._

 _Grandfather demanded that I give myself to another for the sole purpose of breeding an heir. A demand that father expected to be followed without question or hesitation._

 _To fulfill a business agreement made upon my birth, my free will was stripped away._

 _To further that end, they threatened my friends, and my most precious person. Grandfather forced me to turn her love away. To throw our relationship and those of our friends away like it was useless trash. All for the benefit of a few more Yen in their bank accounts._

 _Yes, I said HER love. That will probably come as a shock to you. It is also likely it is the one thing that infuriated them the most. Not just that I dared to love someone else, but that the I one choose to love is a woman._

 _Both father and grandfather not only disrespected me, my love, and our friends. They dehumanized me and treated me as though I were their sole property to do with as they_ _pleased. That I had no say and certainly no right to control my own fate in this life. Combined, I found their actions to be unconscionable and unforgivable. Just as my last act was._

 _Gomenasai mother, for everything._

 _I want to thank you for everything you did. For the love you showed me. For the life you gave me. For giving me life. For all that you taught me. For the privilege of calling you my mother. Thank you for every minute of it._

 _I have one last request of you. Please, please look out for my Yumi. Treat her as your own daughter. Take good care of her. She is my most precious person and the woman I loved more than life itself. My sole purpose in committing this horrible deed is to protect her. My only regrets are how I so horribly hurt her and that I have now left her alone in this world. Keep her in your prayers and thoughts. But most importantly, keep her safe. Keep her away from father and grandfather._

 _Thank you again._

 _I love you,_  
 _Sachiko_  
 _-_

The pain was too much for Sayako. She could feel her daughter's pain and anger at Tooru and her father-in-law. That pain and anger only added to her own. Sayako started to fall sideways, but Suguru caught her and held her closely as she began to weep uncontrollably. Taking the letter from her hands, he began to read. His eyes turned dark at what he saw.

 **-0-0-**

Just as Suguru finished reading Sayako's letter, the doors to the trauma surgery unit opened. An exhausted looking male figure in scrubs walked into the room through the open doors. Looking around and seeing Sayako and Tooru stand, he walked over and greeted them.

"Good evening Mr. and Mrs. Ogasawara. My name is Dr. Tanaka. I am the primary physician assigned to your daughter's case." He said to them. "I'm here to give you an update on her condition."

The pair nodded at him in acknowledgement. But before he could begin, Sayako held up a finger indicating she wanted him to wait. Turning to look around the area, she quickly spotted Yumi. Sayako motioned her over, putting her arm around Yumi once she joined them. Tooru just nodded at Yumi, who didn't give him a response. Sayako then indicated that the doctor could continue.

"Well," he started. "She has major trauma to the lower chest and abdomen. Most of the damage caused was brought on by cavitation from the initial impact and entry of the bullet into her body at point blank range. The bullet itself missed most of her vital organs like the heart, veins and arteries. There was damage to her lungs from the bullet passing through her thoracic cavity. The damage isn't too extensive, so most of it can be repaired. However, there was substantial additional damaged caused by the bullet impacting her spine at the T-10 level. There is a fracture of the vertebrae there and the spinal cord is bruised. That alone is going to require a few months of extensive rehabilitation before she can walk again."

"Oh my. Sachiko is a strong child. She'll pull through." Sayako said, releasing a breath she didn't realize she was holding.

"Normally, I would agree with you. That, however, is not the worst of it. When the bullet hit the spinal column, it shattered and ricocheted inside her lower chest and abdomen. That shrapnel along with some bone fragments from her rib cage where it entered, essentially created a 'shotgun' effect inside her. She has damage from multiple punctures to several organs including the intestines. These are small and hard to find. The sheer number of them is giving the surgeons a difficult time. Not to mention that she lost a lot of blood at the time of the injury and while she was being transported here."

Sayako, Tooru and Yumi were somber at the news.

"We've already gone through ten units of blood in surgery." He continued. "Presently, she is still leaking from several places, but we have to close her and wait until tomorrow. When a massive blood transfusion is necessary, as in this case, her body's reaction to the blood loss requires a delicate balance. We have stabilized her for now, but to be perfectly honest, between the shock and damage, I'm amazed that she has made it this far. I don't know if she'll make it through the next 48 hours or not. She isn't out of danger, there is still a very real possibility that we may lose her."

Yumi gave an audible gasp at his comment. Sayako hugged her closer to help calm her down.

"Is that all?" Tooru asked the doctor.

"Actually, no." He replied. "There is one odd bit of information you may like to know. She lost part of a kidney..."

Tooru gave a sharp intake of breath while Yumi and Sayako gasped.

"But that isn't a bad thing in this case." Doctor Tanaka went on.

The trio gave the doctor confused looks as Tooru asked. "How so?"

"Apparently fortune smiled upon your daughter; as she was born with three kidneys." He told them.

Several seconds of silence passed as the three of them absorbed the information.

"Seriously?" Sayako asked him.

"Yes." Tanaka answered. "It's unusual, but not unheard of. Anyway, after the bullet shattered, one of the fragments clipped your daughter's extra kidney as it passed. We had to take out half of it to save it. However, your daughter still has two and half functioning kidneys." He finished, smiling at them.

"Thank goodness" Yumi said aloud. Sayako and Tooru smiled at her outburst.

"One more thing Ogasawara-sama," The doctor told Tooru. "As I said earlier, she is going to need extensive rehabilitation. Because she was attempting suicide, I will also be ordering psychological counseling for her. We need to determine why she tried to end her life if we are going to help heal her completely."

"That won't be necessary." Sayako told him. "We already know the reason." Both she and Yumi gave Tooru a look that was equally accusatory and disgusted. Tooru had enough temerity to look away in embarrassment.

Noting their reaction, Tanaka elected to avoid exacerbating whatever it was that was going on between the trio at the moment. "Just the same," The doctor told them. "She needs help. Please see that she gets it. I'll have the case manager follow up with you in a few days."

"Thank you." Sayako and Yumi chimed simultaneously as the doctor turned and walked back into the surgical suite.

They then left Tooru to himself as both Sayako and Yumi went over the others and explained Sachiko's condition.

 **-** **0-0-**

Sometime later, Tooru decided that he should look to his wife's well being. He had been ignoring her as he tried to come to terms with Sachiko's letter. He was also curious as to what Sayako's letter contained. He stood up and walked over to Sayako.

"Go. Away." she growled at him before he could speak.

Tooru stopped and just stood quietly by. Sayako had never spoken to him this way before, he wasn't sure what to do.

Sayako startled him when she suddenly stood up. "Did you not hear me you brainless idiot?" She shouted into his face. "Get away from me!" Tooru stepped back away as she continued. "Get away from me, from Sa-chan, just… Stay the hell away from us! Just…go home!" He could see her shaking with anger. Something he had never seen her do before.

Because of Sayako's outburst, he could feel the others staring at him. Having little alternative but to obey her request, he looked down at the floor for a moment before silently nodding his head once. He then turned and walked out of the waiting area.

 **-0-0-**

As a lone black limo drove through the streets of Kyoto, its sole passenger was livid with anger.

"What?!" the old man screamed into the phone he held. His face turned red and his hands began shaking as the person on the other end repeated their message. "Why was I not informed of this sooner?" he yelled. "Of what use are you, if you cannot fulfill a basic requirement of your job?!" He then slammed down the phone.

He drew a deep breath before looking forward to his driver, saying. "Kenji; change of plans. Take me to the airport. I have a flight to catch." He leaned back with a look of consternation. 'I should have seen this coming.' he thought. 'Sachiko is weak like her father. This changes everything. If this gets out it could ruin the company. It looks like I will have to handle this directly.' He then reached for the phone again. There were things that he needed done quickly.

 **-0-0-**

Chapter 4 – End Game (11/30/2015) Posted: 01/30/2016.


End file.
